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Tokyo International Women`s Marathon to be Replaced Next Year With New Race in Yokohama

http://mainichi.jp/enta/sports/general/track/news/20080802k0000m050054000c.html
translated by Brett Larner

On Aug. 1st, Rikuren announced that the Tokyo International Women`s Marathon, scheduled to end after this year`s 30th anniversary running on Nov. 16th, will be replaced with a new international women`s marathon in Yokohama. The first edition of the new race is scheduled to take place in Nov. 2009. The race is expected to feature elite foreign and domestic runners to continue in the tradition of the Tokyo International Women`s Marathon.

The course and name of the new race have yet to be decided, but Rikuren intends for the successor race to be a selection event for major international competitions such as the Olympics and World Championships. As part of this move toward a new marathon, the Yokohama International Women`s Ekiden will be disbanded after its 27th running in Feb. 2009.

The Tokyo International Women`s Marathon was the world`s first women-only marathon when it was founded in 1979. It is scheduled to end this year after the Tokyo police department refused to continue issuing the necessary road closure permits. The race`s sponsors, such as the Asahi Newspaper Group, continued to express interest in sponsoring a women`s marathon after the announcement, leading organizers to seek a new venue.

Asked about the future of such events in the era of big city marathons in Japan launched by the Tokyo Marathon, Rikuren executive member Keisuke Sawaki commented, "There are elite marathons for men or women only and big city marathons for the masses. We want to maintain both traditions."
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